The present invention relates to improvements in electrically operated apparatus for making hot beverages, such as coffee, tea or chocolate. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in relatively small (particularly portable) apparatus which can be taken along on trips or elsewhere and enable the user to rapidly brew relatively small quantities of a hot beverage, e.g., two cups of coffee or tea.
An electrically operated apparatus for brewing hot beverages (hereinafter called apparatus or coffee maker for short) normally comprises a housing which has a chamber for reception of a relatively small quantity of a liquid to be heated, an electric heater for liquid in the chamber, a riser which conveys heated liquid from the chamber into contact with a supply of flavoring agent (such as comminuted coffee beans), and a cup which is used to collect the resulting beverage. It is also known to employ a detachable cup which can be placed next to the housing in order to intercept and collect the hot beverage which issues from an outlet of the housing.
In accordance with an earlier proposal, the cup for collection of freshly brewed hot beverage is located in line with the housing and with a filter for heated liquid (which flows past a supply of flavoring agent and toward the outlet) when the apparatus is ready for storage, e.g., in a suitcase. Such apparatus are relatively long and, in addition, actual brewing of a beverage must be preceded by a large number of steps. Thus, it is necessary to place the apparatus onto a supporting surface (such as a table top or the top of a counter). The next step involves separation of the cup from the housing of the apparatus (e.g., by pulling the cover off the top of the housing) and placing of the separated cup next to the housing so that its opening faces upwardly. The operator then removes the filter from the housing and turns the removed filter through 180.degree. prior to reinsertion into the housing so that the properly inserted filter is located between the housing and the cup. This affords access to a closure for the top of the container for cold water. The closure is lifted and the operator introduces a selected quantity of liquid (to this end, the operator can use the cup). The closure is then returned to its sealing or closing position and the cup is again placed next to the housing. These steps are time-consuming so that the owner often decides against the brewing of coffee. A further drawback of the above described conventional apparatus is that heated liquid which contacts the supply of flavoring agent is not pressurized, i.e., the selected quantity of comminuted coffee beans as well as the heated liquid are maintained at atmospheric pressure. This prolongs the brewing operation, i.e., the beverage merely trickles from the outlet of the housing.
It is further known to provide an electrically operated coffee making apparatus wherein the heated liquid is maintained above atmospheric pressure during contact with a selected quantity of comminuted coffee beans. This reduces the interval of time which is required to brew a selected quantity of hot coffee. However, such coffee makers are not portable in a sense that they can be taken along on trips (e.g., in a small suitcase or in a small bag), i.e., they cannot be rapidly dismantled to be reassembled into a body which is more suitable for transport than the body which is to be assembled preparatory to the brewing of a selected quantity of hot beverage.
German Utility Model No. 7 430 108 of Bosch-Siemens-Hausgerate GmbH discloses an electric coffee maker wherein a housing defines a chamber for a supply of water and for an electric heater. A riser conveys heated water into a filtering unit which is installed at a level above a removable coffee cup. The position of the cup when the coffee maker is not in use is the same as when the cup is in the process of collecting hot beverage which flows from the filtering unit. Thus, neither the dimensions nor the configuration of the coffee maker are changed preparatory to storage. Moreover, the coffee maker does not have any means for confining the electric cable when the apparatus is not in use.
Published German patent application No. 2 305 819 of Laama et al. discloses a coffee maker wherein a supply of water is heated in a lower container and is compelled to flow upwardly (as a result of heating and attendant generation of steam) through a filtering unit and into a second container above the filtering unit. The second container has an outlet for hot beverage, i.e., it is not a cup or a similar vessel from which the beverage can be sipped by the user so that such person need not carry along or search for a cup from which the beverage can be sipped in the customary way. The electric cable of the coffee maker is fully exposed at all times, and all accessories (such as sugar, comminuted coffee beans and milk) must be stored outside of the coffee maker.
German Utility Model No. 7 122 332 of Johannes Schlenker-Maier Elektrotechnische Fabrik discloses a coffee maker wherein a portion of the electric cable can be confined in the lower portion of an elongated tubular housing. The dimensions of the coffee maker are the same when the apparatus is idle as well as when the apparatus is in actual use.